National Holocaust Names Memorial

Polish-Jewish architect Daniel Libeskind designed the Holocaust Names Memorial on the Weesper Street. The walls that bear the names of over 100,000 Jews assassinated during WWII, are shaped so that they form the Hebrew letters signifying “In memory of.”

Quay of Shadows

Across from the National Holocaust Names Memorial on the street called Nieuwe Keizersgracht (between the Amstel canal and Weesperstraat), a much smaller memorial specifically to commemorate the 200 Jewish residents who used to live there was established. See: https://www.schaduwkade.nl/

Both the Nieuwe Keizersgracht and the Keizersgracht used to be predominantly Jewish as Mies Boissevain points out innocently before the war breaks out. The Dutch website “Jewish Amsterdam” is a sobering reminder of just how many Jewish citizens used to contribute to the vibrant pre-war Amsterdam culture:

https://www.joodsamsterdam.nl/nieuwe-keizersgracht/

https://www.joodsamsterdam.nl/keizersgracht/

On the other side of the canal on Nieuwe Keizersgracht (or “New Emperor’s Canal)” 58, the Jewish Council used to be located.